Gunster, one of Florida’s oldest and largest full-service law firms, announced that Hugo Benitez has joined the firm’s Government Procurement practice as of counsel in its Miami office.
Hugo has over three decades of experience as an Assistant County Attorney and the Division Chief for Commercial and Construction Litigation for Miami-Dade County. With his years of background in the negotiation, preparation, bidding, award and dispute resolution related to public contracts, Hugo has built a set of unique skills across the industry that provides unparalleled value to his clients. He’s advised a multitude of different agencies and leaders on transactional and adversarial matters, including the Board of County Commissioners and the Mayor of Miami-Dade County.
His addition to Gunster adds a distinct perspective to the Government Procurement practice, cementing the firm’s commitment and dedication to advising on all aspects of Florida government procurement law and procedure and public contracts. The collective team has an incredible range of experience in the public sector, with members of the team having served as a United States Senator, a member and Chairman of the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners, and a member of the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority, among others. Now with the addition of Hugo to the team, the Procurement Practice group will continue to advise clients on federal, state and local laws pertaining to the competitive public procurement process, and contracts for the purchase of goods and services and public works.
“Hugo has an incredibly vast background working with government sectors and leaders within the community, offering legal counsel that is both complex and multi-dimensional with ease,” said Bill Perry, CEO and managing shareholder of Gunster. “We look forward to growing and strengthening our Government Procurement practice so we can continue to bring expert counsel to our clients.”
“The Procurement Practice team at Gunster has decades of experience in the public sector, working with government agencies on federal, state and local laws, and we’re excited to add a seasoned attorney like Hugo to the team,” says Mario Garcia-Serra, the Miami office managing shareholder. “We’re confident his wealth of knowledge in this space will be a valuable asset to the clients we serve.”
Hugo earned his J.D. from Columbia University School of Law and B.A. in philosophy from Yale College.
# # #
About Gunster
Gunster, Florida’s law firm for business, provides full-service legal counsel to leading organizations and individuals from its 13 offices statewide. Established in 1925, the firm has expanded, diversified and evolved, but always with a singular focus: Florida and its clients’ stake in it. A magnet for business-savvy attorneys who embrace collaboration for the greatest advantage of clients, Gunster’s growth has not been at the expense of personalized service but because of it. The firm serves clients from its offices in Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Miami, Naples, Orlando, Palm Beach, Stuart, Tallahassee, Tampa Bayshore, Tampa Downtown, Vero Beach, and its headquarters in West Palm Beach. With more than 260 attorneys and consultants, and over 270 committed support staff, Gunster is ranked among the National Law Journal’s list of the 500 largest law firms and has been recognized as one of the Top 100 Diverse Law Firms by Law360. More information about its practice areas, offices and insider’s view newsletters is available at www.gunster.com.
